Water control for refrigerator systems



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L. G. COPEMAN WATER CONTROL FOR REFRIGERATOR SYSTEMS Filed May '22,'1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l me@ E6, E924.

L. G. COPEMAN WATER CONTROL FOR REFRIGERATOR SYSTEMS Filed May 22, 19242 Sheets-Sheet 2 laa vio

' i tank is again filled t0 a'p-redetermined high Patented Der. Mii,i924.,

italiana LLOYD G. COPEIVIAN, 0F FLXNTI, MCHIGAN.

wa'rnaconrnon non anrnrennaron svs'raras.

Application. Ied May' 22, 1924i. Serial No. 715,044.

To all fwzomz't may concern:

Beit known that LLOYD Gr. Coruna-v. a citizen of the United States,residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Water Controls forRefrigerator Systems, of" which the following is a specification. f y

This invention relates to a. water control. one of its manyuses beingthe control of the water flow through a hydrorefrigerating system.

The ordinary means for periodically passing a quantity of cold waterthrough a hydrorefrigerator is not adaptable when a pressure system isused. lThis water control is especially adapted for use in a pressuresystem. The refrigerating system is so constructed that any time wateris used in the household the same must pass through the refrigeratorbefore owingfrom the taps or other outlets.

However, during the night when the serv-iy ice outlets are not beingusedthere would be no flow of cold water through the refrig` erator wereit not for an independent control means whereby this periodic iiow ofwater ithrough the refrigerator is taken care of.k

The construction of my control is such that the water is periodicallycaused to fill .the tank and the water is Ithen allowed to bleedout ofthe tank at a slow rate until it reaches a predetermined lowvlevel','there`by actuating valve mechanism whereby the level, the valvethen being shut oif.

l amaware ofv the fact that there are many valve controls which allowwater to fill the tank slowlyrl until a predetermined high level isreached when the mechanism opens the valve and allows the tanktodischarge rapidly. However, this construction is not adaptable toahydrorefrigerating,

system, as the most eiiicient cooling is 0btained when the water 'isdrawn directlyl from the well and passes through the refrigerator coilsin Va large volume for a short period of time. The advantage of thisperiodic flow ofa large volume of cold water through the 'coils forcooling purposes may be quite evident from the following exlanation: yere the water Aflows through slowly the pipes are cooled slowly but theair surrounding the pipes is not disturbed and it creates a volume ofinsulating air of a higher tempeature than the water within the coils,thereby preventing the proper cooling of the refrigerator. However,

when the water' is 'passed through lthe re,

frigerator coils in large quantities at a high velocity the coils arecooled suddenly,`

thereby .disturbing the atoms of air inthe vicinity of the coil andpromoting a circulation of cooled air through the refrigerator. e Toobtain this ,perlodic flushing of, the refrigerator itis necessary toprovide means whereby the valve controlling the ilow of water through.the coilsis'held open for a certain length of time to allow the, fullvolume-of water to passthrough the refrig-` erator coils, the same valvebeing then shut .off for a definite length of time. laccom- *plish thisperiodic flushing 'by4 a new mechanical construction in which yll use anauxiliary tank which is filled rapidly when tne valve is opened4 and isdischarged slowly while the valve is closed.

ln the drawings: Y* Fig. ,lis a diagrammatic view .of a hydrofrefrigerator system connected with a water pressure main, with myimproved control installed therein.

2 is an elevation of my water control with the auxiliary tank shown insection.

Fig 3 is a plan view thereof taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2. A

Fig. 4 yis a detailed vertical section through the valve.

water a designates the water pressure main to which the conduit b isconnected, the valve c controlling flow of water therethrough. Theconduit b is connected to the coils d in the refrigerator e, the waterbeing discharged from the coils in the refrigerator into the conduit fwhich discharges into the auxiliary tank g.

Valve 7i controls the' through the conduit f. Obviously when the valveis open the Coldwater from the pressure main is caused to pass throughthe rei friger tor and fill the vtank. Valve c' controls t e outlet ofthe water' from the' said tankthis valve 'i may be so regulated as tocause the water to discharge from the tank at a very slow rate. linfact, it is possible to discharge the tank either i'n about ten minutesor fifteen minutes or several hours, 'depending upon the adjustment ofthe valve i controlling the valve i. My new ,means of h is cle-arlyshown in Figs. 2 and 3 where flow of water f ioo the level ofthe waterin the tank controls the opening and closing of said valve. Se-

cured to the conduit f is a bracket 1c, the set screw m, enabling one to,quickly positionI this bracket witlrrespect to the` valve h. Thebracket lo is provided with a yoke n which pivotally supports the cam 0.As shown in Fig. 2 the cam lo is positioned to press the valve plunger pinwardly against the tension ofthe spring g, this position being theopen position of the4 valve, allowing the. water to How through theconduit f and discharge into the tank'g. The cam 0 is provided with arearward extension 71,

having the segmental slot s'therein. Pivot'ed to the yoke on the samepin which pivotal-- ly supports the caml and its extension, is a rockarm t which carriesa pin at; this pinv is slidable in the. slot s-of thecam extension.

The rear end of the arm t is provided with"- the yoke "'fv.`

Secured in the tank is a standard lw 'which slidably supports the sleeveSecured to this sleeve' is a float 'y and the Acollars 1 and 2 areadjustably secured to thesleeve 'by means ofthe set screws 3. The yoke'v of the rock arm t is adapted to engage the enlargedJ 'flange lofthese collars so .that the rock arm may be actuated as the ioat'rises orlowersinfthe tank due to the change of the' water level therein. v

As shown in Fig. 2 the valve 71. isl open and the water level hasreached thelow f point .designated B, The water is thus discharged intothe tank at arapid rate and the level of the water rises until ,itreaches a level designated 'by the dotted line-A. At

`and the other end secured to this pointthe rock armft` will be raisedto v the mid position desi nated t1. The tension spring 4f has one ensecured to the pin u ,an extension arm of the bracket 7c as at 5. Asthe. rock v arm t is raised it carnies with it the spring and as thesame passes the centerline position (t1) thespring ltwill now functiontq v complete the movementof the rockA armi?,

which carries with -it the cam extension fr,

l dueto the factthat lthe pin u has reached the extreme upper limit ofthe slot 'This will cause the cam and the extension toy move quickly,until the stop 6 comes in con:V

tact with a portion V,of the bracket c'and assume the position asshown-'by the upper dotted lines in Fig 2.v Thisgwill allow the springpressed valve plunger to move to the right, thereby shutting dit' thethrough the conduit f.

How of water The water in the tank is now allowed to discharge throughthe valve at a slow rat-e,

the level of water in the tank lowering until it reaches approximatelythe. level B. The

lowering of this'water will lower the float,

lcausing the collar 1 to engage the end of the rock arm t, therebyloweringithe same until it passes, the center line position Q1' andmeans forregulating the action of the valve by a bleeding action and bydevices for translating the slowl action of the bleed-IA ing into aquick valve action. j

2. In a Water control, the combination of a tank, means for` circulatingwater underpressure and discharging intofthe tank, a valve forcontrolling the yiow of water,4and means for regulating the action ofthe valve by changing the level of the water in the tank b-y ableedingaction and by devices forJtrans'l'ating the slow action of thebleeding int-ova quick valve action.

3. In a water control, the combination ot' a tank, means for circulatingwater under pressure and discharging into the tank, a valve forcontrolling the -low of water from said tank. a lloat controlled by thechange 0f water levelin the tank, and connections between the lioat andvalve for translatingthe slow action of Valve action. v

4. Ina water control, the combination of a tank, means for circulatingwater under pressure and discharginginto the tank, a valve., forcontrolling the lflow of water. a

the bleeding into a quie valve cam for actuating the valve, means forbleeding the tank.L aoat controlledy by,

the change of water` level inthe. tank, andconnections between theiloat'and valve cam for translating the slow action of the bleeding intoa quick actionoiv the valve. cam l* rfor quickly opening or closing the'valve.

5. In a water control, the combination of -la tank, means forcirculating water under pressure and discharging into the tank,

a. valve. controlling.v the lliow of water, a pivotedv valve cam foractuating the valve, means for bleeding the tank,- a float con!trolledbv lthe change of water level in th" tank, and connectionsbetween the .float and ,pivoted valve cam for translating the slowactionpof the bleeding-into a quick rocking action of the valve cam for.ing or closing the valve.

quickly open- In a waterI control, the combination V of'a tank, meansfor circulating water unlit) der pressure a d discharging into the tank,

a valve ,for'c ntrolling the'low Vof water a pivcted valve cam actuatingthe val-fmeans for-bleeding thel tank, a float coni .trolled'by thechangel of water levelv in the'L tank, a pivotedroc`k arm forl providinga connection between the float andthe valve ,C

cam, and mems for translating the slow movement of the float and rockarm resultA ing from such bleeding action into a quick action of thevalve cam for quickly opening or closing the valve.

7 In aI Water control, the combination of a tank, means for circulatingWater under pressure and discharging into the tank, a valve Jforcontrolling the HOW of Water, a pivoted valve cam for actuating thevalve, means for bleeding the tank, a loatcontrolled by the change ofWater level in the tank, a pivoted rock arm for providing a connectionbetween the float and Valve cam, and spring means for translating theslow ino-vement of the oat and rock arm resulting from such bleedingaction into a quick rocking action of the valve cam for quickly openingor closing the valve.

8. In a water control, the combination of a tank, means for circulating-Water and discharging into the tank, a valve for con\ trolling the flowof Water, a pivoted valve cam Jfor actuating the valve, means forbleeding the tank, a oat controlled by the change of Water level in thetank, a pivoted rock arm for providing a connection between the floatand valve cam, and a spring attached to said rock arm, whereby theinitial movement "of the rock arm and float stresses the spring untilthe rock arm is moved past center, ing the rock arm and valve cam totranslate the slow action of the bleeding into a quickv rocking actionof quickly opening or elosinglthe valve.

ln testimony whereof have -aixed my signature.

LLOYD G, COPEMAN.

the spring then actuat the valve cam for

